Korats

Our koratcats are presented under the headline Mästertassen.

KORAT

HISTORYThe origin of the Korat cat is Thailand and the Korat-plateau in the Pimai district. The earliest known picture of a Korat or "Si-Sawat" as it is called in Thailand, can be found in a book of poetry (written in 1350-1767) kept at the National Library of Bangkok – The Cat-Book Poems. An extract from text describes the Korat cat: "The hairs are smooth, with roots like clouds and tips like silver. The eyes shine like dewdrops on a lotus leaf." ”Si” means colour and ”Sawat” can mean several things, amongst others luck and good fortune. Si-Sawat is also a Thai word which means grey colour.

In the 60's the Korat grew in recognition in USA and 1974 the first Korats came to Europe from Thailand with Elfi Kleive, Norway. But the Korat was not accepted by FIFe, because there "were already enough blue cats". The fact that the Korat is an old natural breed which for centuries has succeeded to keep its originality didn't seem to matter. But Elfi Kleive decided to change this and finally gathered Korat forces and hard work managed to get the Korat cat accepted in 1983.

A SMALL HEALTHY BREEDIn Sweden the Korat cat is a small breed and there are few active breeders, despite its ancient heritage. There are more Korats both in Norway and Finland. The Korat is a natural strong and healthy cat. There has been a problem with a genetic disease called GM1 and GM2 Gangliosidosis, but it is not a problem in Sweden anymore thanks to Korat breeder co-operation. All Korats within FIFe used in breeding must be tested for GM if both parents haven't already been tested GM-free and no breeding is allowed where the kittens can inherit the disease.

With a small breed it takes a lot of planning when breeding to keep the Korat healthy and beautiful. Breeders want to keep the the characteristics of this special cat and allow people to enjoy its magnificent companionship. All true Korats can be traced back to their origin, Thailand.

LOOKSThe Korat is a cat who looks alert and attentive. It is a medium-sized, muscular and smooth cat with hind legs a bit longer than the front legs. The Korat often weights more than it looks. Females are somewhat smaller and more finely tuned than males, but there shouldn't be too big a difference, since females just like males should be muscular and smoothly powerful. The coat should lie tight against the body, be soft as silk and shimmering with silver. Typically the coat can form layers when the cat moves or when it thinks it is a bit chilly. There is only one colour and that is blue.

The eyes should be big, round, and open to give the alert appearance and should even be a bit oversized to the face. The colour of the eyes develops with time - which can take up to four years - and develops from amber to warm green. The head is heartshaped where the eyebrows mark the top part and the chin completes the shape in good balance, and should therefore not be either strong nor weak. The Korat has a slight stop in profile and the nose ends as a lion-nose with a slight tip. The ears should be big and highly placed to give the characteristic alert expression. The tail should be of medium length and end in a rounded tip. A Korat takes time to get to its grown-up appearance.

STANDARDAt shows the Korat cat is evaluated accordingly:

Head 20Eyes 20Body and tail 25Coat 30Condition 5

PERSONALITYKorats are curious, alert, social and affectionate cats who demand a lot of attention from their humans. They gladly take eyecontact and talk to the human. They of course consider themselves in the centre of everything and naturally they are the ones in charge. They want to investigate and it is a good idea to keep windows and doors shut since they seem to have a special instinct regarding danger outdoors – they curl up, keep still and hope they become invisible - works when it comes to predators from the sky but not so good when it comes to cars. They have a lot of natural instincts and especially the females are real hunters. If you are lucky to have many Korats they like to live as lions, all lying together in a big pile. They also get along with many other breeds.

Korats are very good jumpers and when their young and wild as kittens there is no place not worth jumping to. They calm down as they get older, but remain playful even when very old. Most fun of all is to watch when the humans run around the house to play with the cats. Some Korats are not so talkative, but many talk a lot and especially at shows they express strong opinions. Females are often more talkative than the males, who like to cuddle in laps. Many Korats love to go for a walk in a leash and are easily trained if they want to, since they are intelligent and investigating. If it is no fun one can always refuse later.